World Series 5: Red Sox 3, Cardinals 1

Red Sox   - 100 000 200 - 3  9  0
Cardinals - 000 100 000 - 1  4  0

Jon Lester (7.2-4-1-0-7, 91) stifled the Cardinals and David Ortiz went 3-for-4, including an RBI double in the first inning, as the Red Sox took another step towards their third world championship in the last ten seasons. Boston will try to clinch the 2013 title at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.

Lester allowed leadoff singles in the second and third, but St. Louis could do nothing with the base runners. After Matt Holliday tied the game with a home run in the fourth, Lester set down the next 12 Cardinals batters. He departed the game with two outs in the eighth inning and a man on second.

Koji Uehara came in and struck out pinch-hitter Matt Adams on three pitches. Uehara had a calm ninth, retiring the Cardinals in order: Matt Carpenter struck out looking, Jon Jay grounded out 3-1, and Holliday lined to right.

The game was only a few minutes old when Boston scored its first run. Adam Wainwright (7-8-3-1-10, 107) struck out Jacoby Ellsbury, but Dustin Pedroia ripped an 0-2 pitch to left field for a double. Ortiz then lashed the first pitch he saw down the right field line, and the Red Sox led 1-0.

Ortiz also got Boston's next hit, leading off the fourth with a single, but he was erased on a double play. Xander Bogaerts and David Ross both singled in the fifth, but were stranded.

With one out in the seventh, Bogaerts singled and Stephen Drew walked. Ross then smacked a ground rule double that landed just fair down the left field line for one run. After Lester grounded back to the pitcher, Ellsbury singled to center. Drew scored and Ross tried coming home as well, but was called out on a close play at the plate.

With his fourth-inning hit, Ortiz tied a World Series record by reaching base in nine consecutive plate appearances. Flo is now 11-for-15 (.733) in the World Series and has all but clinched the MVP Award. Lester's superb performances in Games 1 and 5 merit serious consideration, but Ortiz's offensive extravaganza, coupled with his inspirational pep talk during Game 4, cannot be denied.

How hot has Big Papi been?

Ortiz         11-for- 15  .733
Rest of Team  22-for-146  .151

Boston has clinched two World Series championships at Fenway Park: 1912 and 1918. They will try for a third on Wednesday night.

Jon Lester / Adam Wainwright

Ellsbury, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, 1B
Gomes, LF
Nava, RF
Bogaerts, 3B
Drew, SS
Ross, C
Lester, P

For your pre-game pleasure: Game 4 gifs!